Witnessing for the Lord Jesus must be spiritual

John 14:23 Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.’

Professing Christians, who do not have the Holy Spirit, John 14:23, are unable to witness for Jesus. And what is worst, they cannot easily relate to a witness for Jesus. Their Christianity is based on unbelief and selfishness. As a result, they form a sort of Social Philosophy using selected parts of the Bible and other teachings – a form of Biblianity. A Christless Christianity that forms Churchianity.

I have experienced this when I try to witness for the Lord Jesus. These, Christless Christians, quote the Bible, but they argue against the teachings of Jesus. Not that they know them anyway, it’s just that his teachings have not formed their Christianity.

So what follows in this Blog is a discussion on the conduct of both groups – John 14:23 and 24.

What is Proper Christian Conduct?

Showing love, goodwill and benevolence – to act in the same way as the Lord Jesus Christ, who is in you and you in him.

Towards the bottom of my Blog, I have a link to a Film based on John’s Gospel. It has the Actors, not only playing the roles, but also speaking the words that are in the Holy Bible. It is so helpful to have an image in addition to the words that we must understand and respond to. The film is an excellent aid to learning. The film portrays the conduct of Christ’s Friends and Enemies and the same patterns of conduct can be seen today.

Now the lesson I am trying to teach is this. When your public conduct is sinful, there are always witnesses. So not only the people present see your bad conduct, but if John 14:23 is to be believed and experienced. Then the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus Christ, his Father, and the Guardian Angels, also see and experience your bad conduct.

Now let’s be clear on this. My aim is to witness for the Lord Jesus, not to simply denigrate people. Examples are given in order for the problem to be recognised. I cannot teach if first I don’t describe the problem that must be fixed.

Throughout the past 40 years, my Dear Lord often asks me, when I complain about peoples treatment of me, “What about you, Mike?”

So what were the problems I have faced?

There have been to many to mention here, but many of them are on my testimony.

In my life, people have judged me wrongly. In 1949, the Lord Jesus appeared to me, with such a loving smile, during the morning Sunday School. Yet the Leaders did not show love to me, instead they passed judgement on a 5 year old as being unworthy of Christian Teaching. History has shown, that in this case, it was probably a good thing – or God used it for good.

Then in 2017, last week, another incident took place. The Lord Jesus has been using me for 40 years, and because his Father loved me, they have made their home with me. the Holy Spirit being the proof. Yet a group of Leaders doing open-air witnessing in a city shopping area. Openly, and with some passion, disagreed with my claim that I witnessed for my Lord Jesus. Now I have lived and ministered for 32 years within 5 miles of the place where we were debating. 32 years witnessing for Jesus and they were saying I was a phoney Disciple of Jesus.

The lesson to be learnt.

The Holy Spirit of God is our proof of being loved by the Father because of our love for his Son, Jesus Christ. John 14:23 Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

According to the Centre for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, there are approximately 41,000 Christian denominations and organizations in the world. This statistic takes into consideration cultural distinctions of denominations in different countries, so there is overlapping of many denominations. Centre for the Study of Global Christianity (2011) WHICH ONE DO YOU JOIN?

Therefore, it is reasonable to think that not all members of these Groups agreed with each other. So we must take care to test the judgements of these denominational and organisational leaders, for they may easily be as Jesus describes in John 14:24. Thus not having the Father and the Son making their home with them – Thus no Holy Spirit. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.

LET THE LORD JESUS BE YOUR JUDGE, NOT ME OR ANYBODY ELSE

It’s important to know that Jesus shall administer judgement, though if he is living in you, then he may want you to judge the conduct of others. If He is happy to use you as his witness, then be happy with that; don’t let the judgements of Man deter you. Unless, of course, they serve you as ministers in Christ’s Body. These you will recognise by their fruit – it will be good fruit.

John 5:22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgement to the Son,

John 5:27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

Acts 10:42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.

Romans 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgement seat.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

If you have been chosen to witness for Him, then do that, but do it using good conduct, following the example of Christ who lives in you. The witnesses will see your conduct and hopefully be touched by it.

John 13:15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Paul’s Hardships described in 2 Corinthians 6:3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.